Friday 5 February 2010

#Fridayflash - What Cain Did

Some of you asked for it, so here's Cain's side of the story... 
 
The moment I saw her I knew she was more than just another beautiful woman in a bar. I hadn’t had the best of days, and honestly, I didn’t feel like talking…but there was just something about her…

She was tough…it radiated from her, but there was also something searching in her, like she knew there was more to life, and wouldn’t give up until she found it.

She had green eyes that seemed familiar. I noticed that when she sat down beside me; before she spoke, before she even looked at me. They were stunningly bright, and she pursed her soft mouth below them, whistling when the bartender placed another beer and whiskey chaser before me.

“Put it on the tab,” I grumbled, and she smirked… I could only see her out the corner of my eye, but I knew she was smiling. I felt it.

“Rough day?” She asked, leaning closer until I could feel her heat and smell her scent, like honey and jasmine. I wanted to ask her what the hell my drinking habits had to do with her – and if she’d been anyone else, I would have. But those green eyes were steady and genuine, like she’d listen for hours if I actually told her the whole sorry tale.

“Something like that,” I replied, offering a ghost of a smile in return. I couldn’t help it, and besides, facing her was far preferable to facing the images in my head.

We talked a little, the woman who said her name was Annabelle, and I. It was nice - sort of distracting - and mostly, I found I was honest with her. Except, of course, when we reached the inevitable –

“So what do you do?” She asked. I told her I was in IT, a consultant – everyone’s in IT now, aren’t they? She said she was a nurse, and it made a lot of sense. She had one of those invisible protective shells around her, like she’d got used to losing people. It was a shame, I thought. I’d been starting to really like her, but there was no use thinking ahead…Annabelle would never handle the truth.

I mean…how do you tell someone who saves lives, that you’re a professional killer; a specialist in lethal explosions? How do you tell her you fake terror attacks for a living, to feed the egos of bastard politicians and sway the opinions of the world? And how do you explain that a ‘rough day’ is the day a little boy gets caught in one of your car bombs? That the news channel in this very bar is reporting your handy work?

The truth is, you don’t, and there was no point pretending otherwise. It didn’t matter if Annabelle was a nurse really…my job wouldn’t wash with any woman. Even if it had been a choice between the Secret Service or prison - Cain Andrews, SAS deserter to Cain Andrews, government pawn - and I’d never asked to be who I am.

So, I charmed Annabelle instead, and waited for her to ask me in when I walked her home…because if she didn’t take me upstairs and take my mind off that boy’s blood on the embassy steps, I knew I’d never sleep again.
 
 *                                           *                                         *
 
The following morning, as I stood naked in her bathroom doorway, she told me she didn’t do this often…she didn’t invite strange guys from bars into her bed. I reassured her, of course I didn’t think that…she didn’t seem the type to screw around… And for once, I was being honest, she really didn’t. Annabelle’s mouth was the most truthful thing I’d ever encountered, in speech and everything else. Her tongue was masterful and practiced, but by no means mechanical. She was bitter and sweet, generous and attentive…and vicious…all at once. In truth, she’d touched my soul, and God help me, I wanted more…

“I must be special then?” I asked her, and every fibre of me willed her to say ‘yes’, to say she felt the same startling connection here as I did. When she didn’t respond, I sought the confirmation I was sure I would find, in her kiss instead. Laying on the bed beside her, my eyes locked on her green gaze and I leaned towards her.

“I know what you’re thinking,” I murmured against her lips, nipping at their softness between words. She made an inquisitive sound, but didn’t move, only trembled, until I twisted, drawing her mouth into mine. “You think…” I breathed, breaking off as our kiss deepened. “That this can’t be happening...” She pushed my shoulder and I rolled willingly onto my back, raising the intensity and gasping my next words, breathlessly, into her hot, open mouth. “You think you can’t feel this way…after just one night…but…”

I felt her catch her breath then as she clawed away strands of her hair that caught in our kiss. I didn’t need to finish my sentence, it was clear she felt it too…her body screamed it, without words. Annabelle buried her fingers in my hair and drew me tighter against herself, her graceful arms snaking around my neck and back... I knew I’d never felt anything like this before, and might never again. Maybe I could tell her the truth about my work…perhaps she would understand…

I didn’t feel her stab me until the blade hit my heart - sliding very professionally between my ribs, through my back as she held me. I didn’t understand it and I tried to say her name, to ask her why, but found I couldn’t breathe enough to speak – my chest was full of crushing air and blood. She said she was sorry and my dying eyes saw truth in hers…her impossibly bright, green eyes.

It wasn’t until the clarity of death that I remembered why those eyes were familiar. My boss had the same green eyes,...just older. And so did his son…the boy I’d left dying on the embassy steps last night. There had always been a photo of the child on my boss's desk - posing with a woman he'd once told me was his niece... 

31 comments:

  1. Well told, Cain!

    A love story with a twist...from both sides.

    Really enjoyed!

    ReplyDelete
  2. The girl with green eyes - they're always special aren't they? Cute take on last week's ep.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cain had it comin', but at least he was honest enough to admit it. Well done.

    ReplyDelete
  4. It was nice to look at the other side. I felt sorry for him.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Really hard to write like this from a male point of view, so I'm glad you enjoyed it. I wasn't nearly as confident about this version as I was with Annabelle's! Thanks guys!

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's fun reading while knowing Cain's end yet not really knowing anything. So much new here. I like the realization as he dies.
    -David G Shrock

    ReplyDelete
  7. Very awesome. A nice companion piece.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I feel sorry for him too.
    Maybe because he's in IT, I feel he's a kindred spirit...

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yes, well told, fantastic writing.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great to read the other side of the story, and interesting that he didn't pick up on her lies to him about being a nurse!

    I also enjoyed his sense of need to escape from what he'd done, which allows us to kind of feel sorry for him.

    Very enjoyable to read.

    ReplyDelete
  11. @mazzz in Leeds...a kindred?! Are all IT people really ex-SAS contracted by the government?! I'm beginning to feel distinctly less safe among the LWG core! :D

    ReplyDelete
  12. what is it about IT folks. all the rest of us are dumb users, wait, that's redundant.. nicely wicked tale

    ReplyDelete
  13. As brilliant as last week. I particularly like Cain's job description.

    Amy, you write the dance of love well.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Interesting and enjoyable to hear the other side of the story; I personally preferred Annabel's account as I thought she was a more developed character I can imagine - and hope to find her - cropping up in more stories in the future? You have no reason however to feel nervous about writing from a male point of view - Cain is a believable character with a realistic voice.

    ReplyDelete
  15. "She had one of those invisible protective shells around her, like she’d got used to losing people."

    I loved that. I wonder why he saw that shell, but then I think about it, and she does lose people. Too bad. They were a match made for certain. Well done.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Nice follow-up with Cain. I also liked his job description. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Neatly done. Did you learn anything new about your characters by writing from the other point of view?

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hey wait a minute, I'm in IT...but then again I'm just the geek babysitter, so that doesn't really count, right? ;)
    As much as I enjoyed Annabelle's side, I think I like Cain's better. I felt much more empathy for him, maybe because I knew his end. It was fascinating to read his side, knowing the end, but at the same time wondering, hoping it might turn for him. But it was inevitable I suppose. Great work Amy!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Fantastic! Thanks for posting this follow up. :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. I find it hard to write from a male perspective, too. Great job here! I did actually feel empathy for him, which seems like a monumental task in itself. Well done.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Seeing this from the other POV was really interesting. Of course, what made it so was the sensitivity of your writing. This was laced with a lot of emotion, and it came through beautifully.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I always knew that those nerdy IT people (sorry Deanna) all really live secret lives. I certainly didn't see Cain's demise coming--I focused on his conscience and and the death of the young boy. Good twist! (Missed last week, unfortunately.)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Oh, someone who hadn't read Annabelle's story first?! You're a great test of whether this story stands up on its own then Kim! I'd wondered about that, but it seems to have made sense to you without the prelude..?

    ReplyDelete
  24. This is where the expression green-eyed monster comes from.
    Enjoyed your story, Amy!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Amy, This was a great companion to last week's story, and I think it definitely stands on its own. Great read. ~ Olivia

    ReplyDelete
  26. Great story Amy!

    I almost feel bad for the guy - considering his job is so stressful and he takes one night to relax a little and them BAM! - he's gone.

    Well told.

    Jim

    ReplyDelete
  27. I am another one who didn't read last week's story first, but you can be sure I went back and read it after finishing Cain's story. I think of the two, you gave a fuller explanation of why Cain was a killer, and I loved the rational for his death. You handled the male point of view very well indeed.
    Barb Relyea

    ReplyDelete
  28. I do like a good revenge story!

    Well written!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Wow -- Well done! I just love a good hit man/woman story. Nicely written, good plot -- all around wonderful stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  30. The story and pacing are gentle, which contrasts wonderfully with the assassination. I felt the ending coming - I think I was meant to, it felt as if Cain sensed the inevitability of death and was drawn to it. And it felt as though Annabelle delivered redemption as well as death.

    I hadn't caught last week's story and just went back now to read. They are a suitably strong pair of stories for a strong pair of characters. I really enjoyed reading these Amy.
    Simon.

    ReplyDelete
  31. This was an excellent compliment to last week's story. Well told.

    ReplyDelete